Trump Touts NC Chip Investments

President Trump used a Tuesday night rally in Greenville to announce $1.5 billion in Pentagon money for semiconductor production in North Carolina. 

The funding, which Trump said would come from the Department of War, is aimed at producing “cutting-edge” semiconductor chips. 

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick announced that Sibelco, a supplier of high-purity quartz, plans to invest “hundreds of millions of dollars” in a North Carolina facility, though he offered few details.

North Carolina already holds a rare edge in the industry: ultra-pure quartz mined around Spruce Pine is essential to producing most of the world’s chip-grade silicon.

NC Lands $873M for Helene Roads

Western North Carolina will receive an additional $873 million in federal money to rebuild roads and bridges wrecked by Hurricane Helene, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced Monday. 

The award is more than half of a $1.6 billion national emergency relief package administered by the Federal Highway Administration. Federal officials say the September 2024 storm damaged more than 9,000 sites and caused more than 1,400 road closures.

Vice President JD Vance touted the money at a Monday campaign stop in Hendersonville. He credited President Trump, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, and Senate candidate Michael Whatley, and said the money would help rebuild eight major corridors, including I-40 through the Pigeon River Gorge.

Democrat Gov. Josh Stein also welcomed the funding. In June, he asked Congress for more than $10 billion in additional Helene recovery money.

Buc-ee’s Eyes Second NC Store

North Carolina could land its second Buc-ee’s. The Texas travel-center chain is under contract to buy about 34 acres near the I-95 and Halifax Road interchange in Rocky Mount and has asked the city to rezone the land.

Plans call for a 74,000-square-foot store with 120 fuel pumps and about 200 jobs. 

A neighborhood meeting is set for 6 p.m. tonight at Frederick Turnage Municipal Building, and Buc-ee’s hopes to go before the planning board Nov. 10.

Buc-ee’s is known for its wall of fuel pumps, brisket, Beaver Nuggets, and oversized, spotless restrooms. Its first North Carolina store is under construction in Mebane, with an opening projected for 2027. An earlier Buc-ee’s proposal in Efland, in Orange County, collapsed amid local opposition.

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➤ Statewide: North Carolinians reported more than $1 billion in scam losses over five years, according to an analysis of Federal Trade Commission data shared with Enlace Latino NC. (More)

➤ NC Schools: North Carolina’s Blue Ribbon Commission on Public Education is leaning toward regional “shared services,” in which neighboring districts would share back-office staff such as finance officers and purchasing. No votes have been taken. (More)

➤ Coastal NC: A second nor’easter in a month kept NC 12 closed Wednesday between the Marc Basnight Bridge and Rodanthe. NCDOT says ocean overwash at the Pea Island Visitor Center wiped out about 1,000 feet of protective dunes and damaged roughly 800 feet of pavement. (More)

➤ Durham: A state audit released Monday found control failures in North Carolina Central University’s purchasing card program, including missing documentation, prohibited purchases, and transactions split to stay under spending limits. The university agreed with the findings. (More)

➤ Huntersville: Faith City Charlotte church’s bishop says teen street takeovers have overrun its property several times. Early Sunday, the bishop said more than 200 cars filled the lot, leaving tire marks and spent shell casings behind. (See Video)

➤ Forsyth County: Sheriff’s deputies are testing new A2Z drone technology they say could speed search-and-rescue missions and strengthen criminal investigations. (See Video)

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➤ Grayson Allen scored 21 points, and Naz Reid added a 20-point, 11-rebound double-double as the Charlotte Hornets opened the season with a 110-103 road victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday. (See Stats)

➤ East Carolina football (3-3) visits Memphis (5-2) tonight at 7:30 p.m. ECU’s nation-leading tackles-for-loss defense faces Memphis’ explosive offense. Underdog Dynasty predicted the Tigers will win 28-17. Watch the game on ESPN2. (More)

➤ Appalachian State (4-2) hosts unbeaten James Madison (7-0) tonight at 7 p.m. in Boone, seeking a signature home win against the Sun Belt East leaders. Watch the game on ESPNU. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: NCAAF | NBA | WNBA | NHL | Soccer

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➤ NC Children’s, created by UNC Health and Duke Health, received a $100 million grant from The Duke Endowment on Tuesday—its largest gift yet toward the planned $3 billion Apex campus. Groundbreaking is set for 2027. (More)

➤ Raleigh and Wake County leaders broke ground on a 200-unit affordable housing community called Chapanoke as part of the capital’s push to ease a deepening shortage of lower-cost homes. (More)

➤ Piggly Wiggly held a soft opening Wednesday in south Greensboro, finally bringing a long-delayed store to the neighborhood after years of setbacks. (More)

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➤ Some North Carolina State Fair vendors are accommodating visitors with dietary restrictions. Gluten-free bakery Plant and Pastry has teamed up with La Farm Bakery to make gluten-free pastries, and La Farm Bakery labels allergens on every item it sells at the fair. (More)

➤ Taylor’s Wave, a man-made whitewater feature in the French Broad River at Woodfin, is now open to paddlers and surfers. The town will host a grand-opening celebration on Friday. (See Photos)

➤ Fall migration is funneling shorebirds and raptors down the Outer Banks, which sit on the Atlantic Flyway, one of North America’s major bird migration routes. (See Photos)

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The following stories are featured exclusively on The Flyover Podcast—a daily show that gives you the most important headlines in under 15 minutes. 

➤ Expiration dates on your groceries are mostly guesses, except for the one you should never ignore. (Listen Now)

➤ An Australian lawmaker lost both of her legs after a car was deliberately driven into her outside her office. (Hear Story)

➤ Passengers began vomiting mid-flight, forcing a priority landing and a hazmat response in Germany. (Hear Details)

How do you feel about North Carolina possibly getting a second Buc-ee’s?

1. Bring it on
2. One is enough
3. I’m fine either way

Yesterday’s Results:

What main entree do you typically order at fast-food restaurants?

1. Burger: 41%
2. Chicken sandwich: 27%
3. I don’t eat fast food: 20%
4. Salad: 4%
5. Pizza: 3%
6. Other: 3%
7. Taco or enchilada: 2%

Which famous inventor’s electric motor sparked a boom in demand for Spruce Pine’s mica?

Show me the answer